This past week found me in New York City and even though I just landed a few short days ago, it feels like a lifetime ago. Between the time I landed and today, I’ve done three other events plus the Carp Fair. To say that I’m exhausted is an understatement but it’s a good exhausted… the best kind, actually.
I was able to share with you day one of our New York City trip while still in Manhattan but I haven’t shared day two yet. I’m going to do that here and then I’ll likely put together a third post with some edgy, artistic photos I took while in New York that really captured the way I feel when I’m there. Those photos are a bit different but perhaps some of you may like them.
So, the second day of our trip found me sleeping in as long as I possibly could… or, until the loudspeaker went off in the hotel to let us know that “a situation happening in the hotel has been handled and that everything was fine now.” I was sleeping so was unaware of a situation but hearing the loudspeaker in my room go off and being shaken from my deep sleep by a warning was a bit jarring. On the flip side, I was happy to be woken up a bit earlier than I likely would have risen on my own. It meant more time to explore NYC.
I had a conference call at noon so there wasn’t a lot I could squeeze into the morning so Steve and I decided to do a walk up to Central Park and then from there, he’d go for a run and I’d head back to the hotel for my call. On the way there, I had him stop in his running gear in a few places where he would never usually be in running gear so I could snap some photos of him. The juxtaposition of his workout gear against a busy city backdrop was interesting and unique.
The more I visit Manhattan, the less I like places like Times Square. In fact, I found myself purposefully avoiding it and taking quieter side streets instead to get where I wanted to go. However, that area is riddled with fab photo opportunities like this Hope sign that was dropped onto the street nearby Times Square.
After dropping Steve off at Central Park, I headed back to my hotel room to partake in my conference call. Being in the city is quite funny… the moment I walked into my hotel room, I felt like I had to strip myself of all of my street clothes. It was as though the city was plastered all over me and it felt heavy and dense. Freeing myself in my room felt so much better.
Once my conference call was done, and Steve returned from his run, we decided to go exploring in Greenwich Village. It was only a couple of subway stops away and it’s much quieter and less touristy than Times Square is. So, we grabbed our Metro Cards and away we went to the West Village.
Every single time we’ve visited New York City, we’ve always looked for the monument that shows up in the movie I Am Legend starring Will Smith. We never really researched it ahead of time but rather just spent time aimlessly wandering for it but when I knew we were going to the Village, I had Googled for restaurants in advance and happened to come across a Wikipedia article that showed the monument. Now that we knew it was the George Washington Monument and that it lived in the very place we were going to that day, we decided to go and see it at last.
After leaving the monument, we wanted to head over to the Hudson River but instead of walking, we decided to rent bicycles and head over there by bike. We rented bikes from a Citi Bike station, which was way easier than I anticipated, and off we went to find the river.
After finding the river and snapping a few photos, we headed back to a Citi Bike station, dropped the bikes off and wandered around the Meatpacking District looking for a place to eat. I happened to see The Spice Market from across a courtyard and the vibe of the place seemed really cool so I mentioned it to Steve and we decided to go check it out. It turned out to be one of the best choices ever.
We started the meal with the Black Pepper Shrimp and Sun-Dried Pineapple, which were amazing. A bit spicy and a bit sweet — it was the perfect combination. For the mains, we ordered Red Curried Duck with Pineapple Sambal and the Chili Garlic Egg Noodles with Seared Shrimp and Star Anise. It was all incredible. All of it. Go there you must.
After touring around the neighbourhoods, we headed back toward Times Square to stop at the Tkts booth to grab tickets for Once, The Musical. I was SO excited about this show because I had seen the movie and absolutely fell in love with the story, the music and the characters. Grabbing them at the Tkts booth also meant that they were 50% the regular price and amazing seats — nine rows back from centre stage.
We returned to our room for a bit of downtime before the show. I love The Row NYC… that hotel has some serious design inspiration and really made me want to bask in more neon once home.
One of my favourite things about New York City is getting dressed up and going out. There are always people out who are always dressed to the nines and I love joining them. It makes me feel like I’m transporting myself back to a time when glamour ruled the universe — especially in a place like Manhattan with the theatres and the businesses and the restaurants and the social scene.
Once, The Musical, turned out to be the most incredibly inspiring, moving, emotional and humorous Broadway show that I’ve seen next to Rent. It exceeded my expectations, and then some, and even moved me to tears. It was THAT amazing. If you have the chance to see it while it’s on Broadway, please do. I can personally assure you that you will not be disappointed in any way whatsoever.
Once we were done snapping photos, we found this little seedy diner / cafe and grabbed some dinner before heading back to the room.
New York, you have captured my heart once again. While I most definitely detest parts of you, I love most of you so return I shall.
Until then,
e.
